Environment | Conservation, Sustainability

Community Connections | Citizen Engagement

Bow River Basin Council Society (BRBC)

Today, southern Alberta is blessed with clean and abundant water. More than 1/3 of Alberta’s population relies on the Bow River basin for sustenance, yet the basin represents only four per cent of Alberta’s landmass and only three per cent of its water supply. As the population in and around Calgary grows, pressure on our water supply intensifies.

Our Impact

What We Do

We envision a future where…

…the waters of the Bow River Basin are conserved and protected as a fragile and unique resource, and recognized as our lifeline. Multiple uses are balanced, ensuring the needs of all stakeholders are met, while maintaining a healthy ecosystem.

The BRBC has a vision of the Bow Basin as one of the best-managed watersheds in the world. To meet that vision, the BRBC forges consensus, advocates focused attention, promotes partnership on creative solutions and fosters collaborative action.

The council has a broad membership base and prides itself on developing strategic alliances and partnerships with academic and research institutions, governments, businesses, individuals, First Nations, charitable and environmental organizations. It brings together experts, all stakeholders and collective community resources to formulate conservation plans and strategies. For example, it provides four Quarterly Educational and Networking Forums each year to identify, discuss and recommend priorities for issues and celebrate success of initiatives within the watershed in addition to weekly news bulletins and a quarterly newsletter.

OUR MISSION | The Bow River Basin Council (BRBC) is a multi-stakeholder, charitable organization dedicated to conducting activities for the improvement and protection of the waters of the Bow River Basin, considering:

Riparian zones

Aquatic ecosystems

Quality and quantity of water, and

Effects of land use on surface and groundwater

OUR PURPOSE | In the Bow River Basin, the Bow River Basin Council will:

Maintain a forum for all Council members to share perspectives and exchange information

Prioritize water use management issues in the basin that may affect the quality and/or quantity of groundwater or surface water or riparian zones

Participate in water use management and planning activities

Develop and recommend improved water use management procedures and performance measures

Encourage the implementation of cooperative water use management strategies

Participate in activities that promote and demonstrate increased awareness of water use management issues to its members, the governments of Alberta and Canada, and the public

Conduct and direct fundraising for the BRBC

Obtain and use assets and funds entrusted to the BRBC for benevolent, cultural, ecological, educational, planning and/or recreational purposes for the improvement and protection of the Bow River Basin

Review and decide upon requests for funds and/or resources from the Council and others on the basis of the merits of the requests, availability of funds, and sound financial and project management principles

Our Programs

How We Do It

BRBC – BUILDING VITAL CONNECTIONS

A river begins as a trickle and becomes stronger with every added drop of water.

Nourished by volunteers, donors and staff members, our list of accomplishments continues to grow. Membership in the BRBC steadily increases each year with more and more individuals, municipalities and corporations seeing value in the work we are doing.

Award winning accomplishments through collaboration

We undertake projects that will make a lasting contribution to improved water quality and watershed health and we have a proud record of fostering collaboration and finding creative solutions. We take pride in our collaborative, non-confrontational approach to issue identification and solutions. The BRBC is living proof that a wide variety of stakeholders with varying views and opinions can, and do, work together for a common good.

Just a few of the BRBC’s accomplishments:

Provides four Quarterly Educational and Networking Forums each year to identify, discuss and recommend priorities for issues and celebrate success of initiatives within the watershed.